500s -- Don't recognise 10, but I think that No 12 is Tony Woodman and No 30 Sid Mizen from the IOM.

Incidentally, Don Cox's book exists, and is on its way to Europe as I speak!

Check Dennis Quinlan's site for a review -- Google "Velobanjogent"

Hello, Larry, not a bad punt at all coz it is Tony Woodman. Variously described as a Yank and a Canadian(I thought he was from BC Canada), wasn't he the guy that a young Barry Sheene took off with as a spannerman just about the time of this shot, 65? It's not Solitude though, nor is it Sid Mizen. Thanks for the info on the book.

Hello, Larry, not a bad punt at all coz it is Tony Woodman. Variously described as a Yank and a Canadian(I thought he was from BC Canada), wasn't he the guy that a young Barry Sheene took off with as a spannerman just about the time of this shot, 65? It's not Solitude though, nor is it Sid Mizen. Thanks for the info on the book.

Liefering at Salzburg, Austria, Russ, and it is 1965.

Early May that race ran, and Woodman then went to our part of the world to ride in the North West 200.

At the start of the third lap of the 350, while leading (just!) he misjudged the braking going down to Henry's Corner on Portstewart promenade. He was lucky not to go into the harbour, but suffered serious spinal injury which left him in a wheelchair.

He was American, from Far Hills, New Jersey, but I never heard the Sheene story. The poor lad didn't have a long enough European career to need a spannerman . . . . .

As a sad aside I wrote to Tony Woodman after the crash via MCN and he wrote back a lovely letter in which he mentioned his younger
brother who accompanied him to Europe.Subsequently many years later I found he wrote a blog on the internet and this entry was particularly poignant

February 26, 2010 at 4:10 am

I did get this, Douglas, but as I live at the opposite ends of the earth it takes a long time for your sun to get back to me here.

Extraordinary that you should have stumbled on this site, probably the only place in the world where a motorcyclist has a place on Parnassus. Tony Woodman has often featured in posts here — perhaps most intimately in this one.

He died in September 2006 here in Chiang Mai — I can see the huge tree from my desk under which he was burnt in an open coffin surrounded by monks and villagers. His ashes now lie in Stockbridge, Massachusettes in the family plot beside his mother. Perhaps today they are covered in snow.

Thank you for having been his friend too — impossible guy, unforgettable.

As a sad aside I wrote to Tony Woodman after the crash via MCN and he wrote back a lovely letter in which he mentioned his younger brother who accompanied him to Europe.Subsequently many years later I found he wrote a blog on the internet and this entry was particularly poignant

February 26, 2010 at 4:10 am

I did get this, Douglas, but as I live at the opposite ends of the earth it takes a long time for your sun to get back to me here.

Extraordinary that you should have stumbled on this site, probably the only place in the world where a motorcyclist has a place on Parnassus. Tony Woodman has often featured in posts here — perhaps most intimately in this one.

He died in September 2006 here in Chiang Mai — I can see the huge tree from my desk under which he was burnt in an open coffin surrounded by monks and villagers. His ashes now lie in Stockbridge, Massachusettes in the family plot beside his mother. Perhaps today they are covered in snow.

Thank you for having been his friend too — impossible guy, unforgettable.

Early May that race ran, and Woodman then went to our part of the world to ride in the North West 200.

At the start of the third lap of the 350, while leading (just!) he misjudged the braking going down to Henry's Corner on Portstewart promenade. He was lucky not to go into the harbour, but suffered serious spinal injury which left him in a wheelchair.

He was American, from Far Hills, New Jersey, but I never heard the Sheene story. The poor lad didn't have a long enough European career to need a spannerman . . . . .

Back to the photo - is No 10 Eddie Lenz?

And could 30 be Bill Smith??

Ah yes, Larry, after digging around I see I confused him with Canadian, Tony Wildman, who I think was also a 7R/G50 pilot, but came to Europe a little earlier. You're right to mention Eddie Lenz, but he's number 30. 10 is Rudi Thalhammer. And Yes, Saltzburg. You're not bad, mate. Glenn seems to be confirming the Sheene story, which is good because I was wondering if I had imagined this.

As a sad aside I wrote to Tony Woodman after the crash via MCN and he wrote back a lovely letter in which he mentioned his younger brother who accompanied him to Europe.Subsequently many years later I found he wrote a blog on the internet and this entry was particularly poignant

February 26, 2010 at 4:10 am

I did get this, Douglas, but as I live at the opposite ends of the earth it takes a long time for your sun to get back to me here.

Extraordinary that you should have stumbled on this site, probably the only place in the world where a motorcyclist has a place on Parnassus. Tony Woodman has often featured in posts here — perhaps most intimately in this one.

He died in September 2006 here in Chiang Mai — I can see the huge tree from my desk under which he was burnt in an open coffin surrounded by monks and villagers. His ashes now lie in Stockbridge, Massachusettes in the family plot beside his mother. Perhaps today they are covered in snow.

Thank you for having been his friend too — impossible guy, unforgettable.

I'm not sure now. Something's telling me it was a Yank/Canadian...Dave Wildman ? For Dave read Tony No, as you were, the guy's name was Dave. According to a dreadful book on Sheene by Stuart Barker it was Tony Woodman. Just to be clear: Barry acted as Tony's mechanic in Europe for a month or so in 1964, aged 14.

I'm not sure now. Something's telling me it was a Yank/Canadian...Dave Wildman ? For Dave read Tony No, as you were, the guy's name was Dave. According to a dreadful book on Sheene by Stuart Barker it was Tony Woodman.

The missing name is Rudi Thalhammer. In the cobblestoned left hander shot, he's on his Manx being chased by the Norton of Gyorgy Kurucz (Czech?)and Hoppe, G50, Saltzburg, '66. It's the same bike as in the '65 picture that includes Tony Woodman. In the Aermacchi shot, Rudi's at an Austrian airfield circuit, again in '66. Not the easiest, I know...particularly since no one's on his best form due to lack of practice.;)

The missing name is Rudi Thalhammer. In the cobblestoned left hander shot, he's on his Manx being chased by the Norton of Gyorgy Kurucz (Czech?)and Hoppe, G50, Saltzburg, '66. It's the same bike as in the '65 picture that includes Tony Woodman. In the Aermacchi shot, Rudi's at an Austrian airfield circuit, again in '66. Not the easiest, I know...particularly since no one's on his best form due to lack of practice.;)

Just to make myself feel a little better, the cobbled lefthander is the Liefering, Salzburg, again, and Gyorgy Kurucz was Hungarian.

Another well-hammered works bike : Jim Redman rode the 1963/64 off-season in New Zealand, bringing a 250 four and a 305 twin. Occasionally John Hempleman rode whichever bike Jim wasn't using. Pics from the Totara Street, Mount Maunganui circuit in January 1964, by Murray Hill.

I wish ! Mum wouldn't let me go alone (I was nine) so had to stand at the front fence and listen to the wail of the mighty four waxing and waning on the wind across the harbour. When Jim was out here in 2003 I reminded him of this tour, and he recalled it with pleasure, and signed a couple of good b&w pics for me that I still can't find, grrrr

It's a wet miserable Saturday here, but the day suddenly brightened with a thud. That was the sound of the box containing Don Cox's much-awaited "Circus Life" landing at the front door.

First off, it's a hefty tome, all 6.5kgs of it (so that's my carry-on luggage allowance shot to pieces as I head north to the Barry Sheene event at Hampton Downs next weekend). It is an absolutely beautifully presented publication of 479 pages, containing illustrations, tables, and colour and mono pics, many I certainly have never previously seen.

I've only had a quick hour-long "glance" but already I've come across some fascinating insights into the characters of, and scene that was, the Continental Circus. As you would expect from Don, his research is lengthy and meticulous. Within the chapters there are some wonderful sidebars, each adding to the colour of an event or rider.

OK, I'll own up, Don's long been a good friend and I much admire his writing. I know just how much he has sweated, toiled and sacrificed to get this book published. It is a wonderful tribute to those who raced or were part of the Circus, and to Don's tenacity and his love of motorcycling history.

Heck, you don't even have to be an Australian to enjoy it. Do yourselves a favour and treat yourself to an early Christmas pressie. It's retailling for $125 here in NZ (plus postage), but here's an email address for prices in your part of the world circuslifebook@gmail.com

Good call Peter, mine arrived a few days back and I, too, was alerted to its' arrival by a heavy thud outside the front door. 3kg, 330 mm high and 250mm wide, so a genuine coffee table book, and beware reading it in bed at night, if it drops on your head you'll get hurt !There's a brief review on Dennis Quinlan's velobanjogent.blogspot.com . Many of the pics I haven't seen before, but the real feature is the prolific sharing of tales from the time by many interviewees. Eric Hinton stayed at our place in NZ one night before Bay Park when he and Rob were over there in 1970 (accompanied by a youthful, corpulent and very nervous mechanic Mick Smith), so when chatting to Eric a couple of years back at the Phillip Island Classic, and marvelling once again at his incredible recall, I mentioned he should really get all this mine of fascinating yarns down in print. Eric drily mumbled that Don Cox had something under way...another masterpiece of understatement ! It's a ripper, but any who have read either of Don's two previous efforts will need no further convincing.

As Peter has outlined, if you email Don he will happily calculate postage to your part of the globe.

You might have humoured me, Renn. Not Eddie Lenz though, and I'll take your word on the Bulatco rider. Also, how sure are you of Granath ? I though maybe Bo or Agne Carlsson? Bo's on fb so we can ask him. Carruthers' first year in Europe. I like how his fork drain screws are taped, this being mandatory in Australia.

You might have humoured me, Renn. Not Eddie Lenz though, and I'll take you word on the Bulatco rider. Also, how sure are you of Granath ? I though maybe Bo or Agne Carlsson? Bo's on fb so we can ask him. Carruthers' first year in Europe. I like how his fork drain screws are taped, this being mandatory in Australia.

Hi Russ, not sure at all, but his cheap looking goggles make me inclined to think so

Good call Peter, mine arrived a few days back and I, too, was alerted to its' arrival by a heavy thud outside the front door. 3kg, 330 mm high and 250mm wide, so a genuine coffee table book, and beware reading it in bed at night, if it drops on your head you'll get hurt !There's a brief review on Dennis Quinlan's velobanjogent.blogspot.com . Many of the pics I haven't seen before, but the real feature is the prolific sharing of tales from the time by many interviewees. Eric Hinton stayed at our place in NZ one night before Bay Park when he and Rob were over there in 1970 (accompanied by a youthful, corpulent and very nervous mechanic Mick Smith), so when chatting to Eric a couple of years back at the Phillip Island Classic, and marvelling once again at his incredible recall, I mentioned he should really get all this mine of fascinating yarns down in print. Eric drily mumbled that Don Cox had something under way...another masterpiece of understatement ! It's a ripper, but any who have read either of Don's two previous efforts will need no further convincing.

As Peter has outlined, if you email Don he will happily calculate postage to your part of the globe.

Bo has confirmed that the 7R pilot is indeed him. Number 79 is our Hungarian mate, Gyorgy Kurucz. Have to say he looks very racey in the shots I've seen of him. I can only vaguely recall his name from back then. I wonder if anyone knows anything about him and whether he's still around ?

A bit of quick Googling shows that Gyorgy won the Austian GP in '64 ahead of Paddy Driver and Roland Foll. He also won several of his home GP's before they were officaly sanctioned etc.

Bo has confirmed that the 7R pilot is indeed him. Number 79 is our Hungarian mate, Gyorgy Kurucz. Have to say he looks very racey in the shots I've seen of him. I can only vaguely recall his name from back then. I wonder if anyone knows anything about him and whether he's still around ?

A bit of quick Googling shows that Gyorgy won the Austian GP in '64 ahead of Paddy Driver and Roland Foll. He also won several of his home GP's before they were officaly sanctioned etc.

Oh no, not again I never associate Eastern bloc riders of this period with western machinery, wonder how they manged to get hold of currency to buy them or were they bought by state-owned sporting clubs?

Oh no, not again I never associate Eastern bloc riders of this period with western machinery, wonder how they manged to get hold of currency to buy them or were they bought by state-owned sporting clubs?